My first 5K race!

My morning started off at 5:45 am after a night filled with dreams of all the things that could go wrong at the race. I dreamt that I couldn't find the registration table to get my number and when I finally find it, they can't find my name on the list (I preregistered).. finally get that worked out and then I couldn't find the route to run..(I hate these kind of dreams). but at least I wasn't running naked... teehhheee.
Anyway, I get out of bed, get ready for the run, pack my cooler with water, oranges & kashi bars... Drink my protein drink and call #1 niece to be sure she is ready....She is!!! So I get in my pink S10 Chevy truck and go pick her up and we drive to Duluth (about 30 mins away) We park a little ways away from everyone else (a thing I do not matter what) and walk over to the park where the registration table are.... no problems. I get my number & my XL Teeshirt . I guess I am soo used to getting large size clothes I didn't think that a smaller shirt would fit (I did check after the race to see if I could get a smaller one but they were all out Oh Well)... .. #1 niece's hubby & kids are coming to watch us run, so we keep an eye out for them. #1 niece finally sees them and goes to them while I find a place to do my prerace stretching....We find each other again when I realize #1 nephew in law could hold my jacket, teeshirt & sunglass (it is warm & overcast so don't need them)... remember I parked as far away as I could possibly park and didn't have time to run to the truck.... so we part ways again while I go look for him and #1 niece goes to the port a potty.... I can't find him so tie the shirt & jacket around my waist and start looking for #1 niece. There are at least 300 peoples lined up for this race... The anouncement comes that the race is about to begin... I am in the middle pack looking for #1 niece when they call the race.... I look over to the side to see #1 niece walking toward the back of the race with the walkers....To late to call her I start out...
The race begins on a slight hill.... the worst part is trying to get around the walkers in with the runners in the pack... I start out pacing myself at a slow jog since I don't know the route and what is coming up... They did announce that the killer hill is on the downside of the race before we began....I run about a quarter of a mile before I get clear of everyone and can get my stride... The first mile was pretty easy... I did it in 8 mins 17 second (I'm thinking wow I'm actually going to beat my time if I keep this up)... but then the slight incline started and went on forever and I started to slow down ... I start thinking to myself "I'm not going to give in and walk until after I hit 2 miles no matter what"....I make it but my toe is starting to really hurt (oh yeah, I forgot to tell you that I went out with #2 niece Friday night and she accidently hit my sore toe with a pool cue stick so it is all swollen again) so I start to do my limping run and the last mile I do a run for a few mins, walk for a min, then run again.... except for that killer hill at the end that I had to walk up...but then half way up it I see #1 nephew in law on the side line so I untie by jacket & shirt and give it to them... my back is totally soaked with sweat, but taking them off felt like I took off pounds so I sprinted the rest of the way in to the finish line... My time was 33 mins & 33 sec... then I turned back and sprinted back to where #1 niece was... she was coming up that killer hill and hadn't walked any of the way... I am so proud of her, especially since she has never been a runner... I ran out of steam about that time and watched her sprint over the finish line, I think her time was 38 mins... WE DID IT....

We stayed for the awards ceremony... there was a 15 yr old boy that did it in 17 mins (impressive)...and while stretching after the race I talked with a really nice gal, we kept passing each other & encouraging each other during the race, I thought she would probably be in my age group, but come to find out she was in the next age group older than me but she was sooo fit...just like I want to be... in fact there where some really fit older women running. Any whooo imagine my surprise when they got to my age group and they called my name for second place... WoW.... I ran down and got my award thinking "WOW, I can't believe it"... and I still can't....

#1 niece took my picture later with the award and will post it here later...at least she's going to try ...
So here I sit with my award, my XL teeshirt (that is really tooo big for me) and a big smile on my face... I love it... I can't wait for the next race...